Day 3

10 facts about your hometown

Well, to be honest, I really don't have a hometown. The longest I have stayed in one place is four years, and I don't feel a real attachment to anywhere. I guess being a military brat does have it's downside, but I have learned to enjoy seeing new places and learning new tings at each station. So for my top ten, I will name the places I have lived and my favorite thing about them.

1. Provo, Utah-I was born and lived here a total of 3 days before moving for the first time. Provo is well known for being the town that BYU is in, and there are many stigmas associated with living there. The BYU Creamery is my favorite thing about it.

2. Fairfield, California (Travis AFB)-we moved here so my Dad could got to Officer Training School. I don't really know anything about this town.

3. Aurora, Colorado (Buckley AFB)-My sister, Shay, was born here. I like Aurora, because it is close enough to Denver to be fun, but far enough away that you avoid the big city problems.

4. Dayton, Ohio (Wright-Patterson AFB)-We lived here for a few years, and I can vaguely remember a few things that happened. My favorite thing by far about living here was going to Amish Country. I remember that vividly, and I would love to go back and visit one day.

5. Lincoln, Massachusetts (Hanscom AFB)-This is where I begin really remembering everything. We lived here for four and a half years, and I met my first very best friend, Kirsten, here. We had a lot of history in the area, including a Minute Man trail behind our home that led to a small Minute Man museum. My favorite thing about living here was picking blackberries by the bushel with my family, visiting Boston, and learning to ride a bike.

6. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-I loved this place! The camels, the interesting people, and going to the markets are some of my favorite memories. I also would go out and catch little lizards at twilight with some friends. One night we had forty of them in our grasp!

7. Copperopolis, California-This was by far the smallest town I ever lived in. The population was around 900, and the school often combined grades into one class from lack of students. My favorite thing about living here was fishing at the lake with my Grandpa, and going to visit my Grandparents in Morgan Hill. I also started playing the flute here.

8. Albuquerque, New Mexico-The Land of Enchantment, and aptly named! I loved living here, and I have a lot of fond memories of it. I still keep in touch with some of my friends from here, and I love going back to visit. One of my favorite things is at Christmas time, when they light the entirety of Old Town with luminarias (Paper bags with candles in them). It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I also enjoyed the annual Balloon Fiesta, and the way the Sandia mountains turn deep red at sunset. It's magical!

9. Montgomery, Alabama-The only nice thing I have to say about Alabama is that their Boiled Peanuts are amazing.

10. Colorado Springs, Colorado- This is where my family ended up, and so I will leave the list here. (Although I have moved a couple of times more, I am living here now so I might as well). Colorado Springs has an elevation of 6,500 feet, and is home to Pike's Peak, which is over 14,000 feet tall. It is a beautiful place to live, and I love it here. The seasons are relatively mild, with temperatures rarely getting above 90 or below 0. We do get our fair share of snow, but it is generally melted by the next day if we get a significant amount. In fact, we often have days in the middle of winter when the temp reaches 70 degrees! It is a wonderful place to raise a family, and I love how nice the downtown area is. I always feel safe here. And now I sound like a tour guide. Oh well!

So there you have it! My 10 hometowns, and why I love them. Until tomorrow, then!